Happy Halloween!

 

Henry really enjoyed the big bowl of candy.

A train and a cyclops!



Cheers!

2011 was a wonderful year for our family.  We didn't have any babies this year and we didn't move.  It was relatively calm; we really settled in as a family of four.  We had great visits from family members and we flew to the East Coast twice to see family as well.  The beginning of 2011 was rough for me personally-- and by extension, it probably wasn't always easy for my supportive husband.  I was at times swept under water by post-partum depression and anxiety.  I reflected on my experience just a few days ago as I did a few simple household tasks before heading out the door with kids.  We were all awake, dressed, fed, and I had the energy to empty the dishwasher and fold some laundry and still leave the house.  If this sounds like a piece of cake to you, thank your lucky stars.  I did.
 
I stopped and smiled to myself and thought-- I must really be better.  The healing process for me was such a gradual one that it seemed I'd always feel exhausted and drained.  I was terrified that I would forever feel uncomfortable in my own skin, like a lioness pacing in a small cage.  As a competetive, educated woman, it is still difficult for me to admit that I needed help here and there.  I strive for perfection and yet, I can vividly recall tears streaming down my face as our post-partum doula helped calm one crying child while I had the other (sleeping) child.  I needed another woman to help me mother my children for a couple of hours and I felt that I had failed in all of the ways that matter. 

The truth is, though, I was giving my children my best.  Finding ways to support myself and making Lindsey, not just Mama, a priority helped me push through the thick of PPD and anxiety.  It is still important to take time away, whether it's book club once a month-- which has been just fabulous-- or an hour in the evening out by myself.  It's true that I haven't slept for more than three or four hours at time in over three and a half years, but I feel much more in tune with myself.  This year, we're making it a priority for my husband to get away now and then too (and more time for the two of us as well)!  Happy New Year to you!

Merry Christmas, 2011

Merry Christmas!  In light of our recent trip to the East Coast for Thanksgiving, we rather enjoyed a low-key Christmas this year.  We went to Christmas Eve Mass and then had a nice dinner at home and let the kids each open a gift (matching pajamas) before bath time.  The kids were so excited that they had a hard time winding down and I don't think either one fell asleep before 10:00.  It's a good thing that Santa was able to assemble and arrange gifts in just about two hours, because he (we) sure were tired!  Fortunately, we all slept in until about 8:30 to make up for it.

Thanks to Xbox Kinnect, we were able to video chat with a large part of my family and we plan to video chat with more family members in the next day or two as well.  I love that the kids can sing and dance and show off their gifts to grandparents on the opposite side of the country!  Evelyn was originally a little disapointed that there wasn't a door to open on her Advent calendar for Christmas, I think it is safe to say that she has officially moved on.  We don't focus much on gifts before Christmas morning in our home.  Gifts don't slowly pile around our tree-- we keep them hidden away for the most part until the big morning.  It was so sweet to hear the "Wow!" from Evelyn (and then from Henry) and see their eyes light up.  I think they were pretty surprised. 

Some highlights:

The calm before the storm.

Dress up

I love these customizable paper dolls.  I found them here.

Bubble wrap fun

My helper, washing potatoes.

Jack Frost was here: The Closest We'll Get to a White Christmas

Morning frost in late December

The Witching Hour: Why you won't be getting a homemade gift this year

Most of the mothers I have met will agree that, at least some of the time, there seems to be a particular part of their day that is just awful when compared to the rest.  Call it the witching hour, call it meltdown time, call it 3:00 pm . . .   The day starts off well enough, with morning's freshness and newness, activities or preschool, and lunch.  Sometimes we add in some errands around town and perhaps a library trip or play date.  Soon it is evident that Henry (and generally, the under 3 crowd-- or older if you're a lucky one) needs a nap and I try my best to make it happen as quickly as he needs. 

For those non-nappers, a little quiet time can work wonders to make it through the afternoon until a second wind helps them stick it out through dinner, play, bath, etc time.  When the weather cooperates, we go outside during this afternoon time.  Unfortunately, it is thirty degrees out and a little drizzly.  I also have several things I actually need to do during Henry's nap time as well, so bundling up to stand outside doesn't rank very high on my priority list today. 

This afternoon, I attempted to bake four or five dozen cookies (and make a tasty appetizer) for a neighborhood party and cookie exchange.  This is fun, fabulous idea, don't get me wrong.  By the time I was able to begin the cookies, however, Henry was two hours over-due for his nap and fighting it every step of the way and Evelyn was whining and frustrated with a pbs online game I let her play so that I could bake.  I put Henry on my back in a carrier and he cried and loudly in my ear while I sang to him and made the cookies.  To add insult to injury, Evelyn was very hurt that I made these cookies without her help and through a crying fit on the dining room floor.  I think she was tired and overwhelmed.  So, why am I writing this instead of baking (or checking myself into the Spa under an alias)?  I finished the first batch and they're cooling on the counter.  Henry finally fell asleep in the carrier so I transferred him to the bed and I'm letting Evelyn watch Bob the Builder and eat frozen yogurt. 

I have no idea how other people make so many cute or crafty gifts this time of year.  I also don't know how we all survive the witching hour, but if your survival strategy involves somehow taking a nap with your child, please don't tell me.  I can't handle the envy today (wink).

    

Thanksgiving Travels

We are settling in after a two week trip to New England.  Today, Evelyn told me that she is cranky because she is lonely for Mimi and Dabo, her Grandparents.  To be fair, she was cranky at their house too, particularly around dinner, by which time her energy had been sufficiently depleted by a day filled with adventures and activities and plenty of family members on hand.  I think it is safe to say that both kids had a great time.  They're still talking about it; and Henry has been asking for "Ee-o" (Leo, the dog) and pointing out Dabo and Mimi in pictures. 

I'm glad we had planned a long trip (and very glad that this was OK with my in-laws) because under the best circumstances, air travel with two young children and the subsequent time change can be unpleasant.  There is always a bit of an adjustment period.  Still, the kids are really quite great on airplanes.  Nevertheless, the best planning in the world couldn't prevent Henry from picking up an awful virus.  We washed hands, sprayed, wiped, and took supplements, but one by one, every single member of the family fell ill in twelve-hour intervals the day after we arrived.  Fortunately, the virus moved quickly.  We were glad to have a full, healthy week after that.  And, thankfully we made it to the big extended family Thanksgiving.  Evelyn even sang in the Talent Show.  It was very sweet and I was so proud of her confidence in front of about sixty people. 

Evelyn sings her "Shapes" song.

The rest of our trip involved time with family and plenty of outdoor fun for the kids.  The weather was sunny and very mild-- perfect for tractor rides with Dabo and long walks through the fields with Mimi.  Evelyn and Henry especially enjoyed playing with their doting uncles and exploring new toys.  Evelyn played with a set of Babar figures every day and loved to play with Mimi's childhood dollhouse. 

Tromping around outside.

Officially Summer!

While some parts of the country have been in full summer mode for at least a couple of weeks, the season isn't officially ushered into the Pacific Northwest until the fourth of July.  Sweaters and jackets are still fair game throughout June here.  This took some time to get used to but I certainly do appreicate the beautiful summer weather and crystal clear mountain views now that they're making their annual appearances.  The collective happiness of our neighbors and fellow PNW-ers was palpable at the beach this weekend.

We were lucky enough to spend time this weekend with friends and still manage to create something pretty cool for Evelyn's upcoming birthday party/ family potluck extravaganza.  Mum's the word, for now.  I hope you had a spectacular long weekend as well!

Beautiful Day for an Egg Hunt!

Our neighborhood gathered together for a Spring Parade and Egg Hunt today and the weather couldn't have been more cooperative!  Aside from an initial case of "I'm terrified of all costumed creatures and won't go near that Bunny,"  Evelyn really warmed up to the idea of the Egg Hunt and she had a fantastic time.  Henry enjoyed banging eggs together.  He also loved the long stroller ride and fell asleep on the way home from the trails. 

Henry finds an egg!

Cheers!

Happy New Year!  I don't know about you, but this has been a big year in our family.  When recalling the high point of 2010, Chris and I simultaneously proclaimed, Henry!  This decade has been ridiculously packed with life-changing events.  Some highlights between 2000 and 2010:

• graduated high school
• attended NYU for a year before transferring to Cornell (where I met some of my absolute best friends)
• met the love of my life
• graduated from college
• married the love of my life
• moved across the country (opposite coast)
• gave birth to a daughter
• bought a house
• gave birth to a son

Here's to a year in which I am fully present and in the moment more often.  Here's to adventures as a family of four.  Cheers!

And so it begins

Now that Henry is mobile and able to pull up to a standing position, Evelyn is showing more interest in playing with him.  Though some of their interactions still revolve around Evelyn swiping a toy from Henry and proclaiming that it isn't safe for "baby Henry," she spends a fair amount of time talking to Henry or handing him "approved" toys.  When Henry's little legs grow tired, he looks up at us and fusses until we help him up so that he can keep playing.  It's sweet to see the kids together.  

Mama Cooks: A (mostly) Local, Vegan, and Organic Christmas Meal

Merry Christmas!  Our family had a lovely holiday together-- and plenty of fun, thanks to Evelyn and Henry.  We spent Christmas day at our house with some of our family members who made the long trek to be together.  We went to a "standing room only" Christmas Eve Mass at our church and made a taco buffet that night.  The meal met our three requirements:  gluten-free friendly, vegetarian-friendly, and meat-eater friendly.

Our Christmas menu this year was largely based on our CSA share for the week and it added an element of creativity to the hours we spent in the kitchen preparing our meal.  What, exactly, was on the menu?  (Everything organic)

• Free-range turkey
• Rainbow garlic smashed potatoes
• Large yams
• Baby bok choy
• Rainbow carrots
• Ranbow swiss chard
• Green beans
• Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, corn-free vegan stuffing (recipe below!)
• Gluten-free baguette (from Wheatless in Seattle)
• Butternut squash
• Whipped turnips
• Apple Pie

First, we sautee the vegetables for the stuffing.

Evelyn helps scoop out the seeds and pulp as we prepare butternut squash.

The stuffing is done!

Baby bok choy, fresh from the farm-- it was delicious.

The only non-vegan dish at our table was, of course, the turkey!

Stuffing Recipe (adapted from Sunny Valley):

2 rainbow carrots, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

3/4's onion, chopped

small handful of fresh mushrooms, diced

2 cups vegan broth (gluten-free)

Sunny Valley Wheat Free bread crumbs

Sautee onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms until soft.  Add dry bread crumbs and toss (1-2 minutes).  Add two cups of boiling vegan broth or cream soup.  Toss and mix until desired moistness is achieved. Pour into glass baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Serve immediately for best results and enjoy!

My little marrionette

Today, we took the kids on a much-anticpated outing.  Evelyn had a chance to try ice skating and she loved it!  For the past two months, Evelyn has been asking to skate.  We have a couple of books that involve skate boards, roller skates, and ice skates and Evelyn likes to pretend to "skate" in her slippery socks (or standing on two sheets of paper) on the hardwood floors.

Evelyn was beside herself at the thought of lacing up actual skates.  Little did we know, the skate rentals were single (rather than the easier to balance double) blades and the smallest size available was about three sizes too big.  Oh well, we're an easy going family-- for the most part-- and we made it work!  I was surprised that Evelyn enjoyed herself as much as she did, as we mostly held her up by the hands or underarms while her feet slipped wildly beneath her in a sort of jig.  I felt a bit like a puppeteer.  Still, it was a lot of fun for her and I'm thankful that, after such anticipation, the experience was positive.  I'm sure that as she develops her gross motor skills and her coordination, she will have many years of successful ice skating ahead of her!

The Greatest gift

In one week, we celebrate Christmas.  For me, Christmas entails fragrant incense, a community gathered together, beautiful music, and precious time with some of our family.  We'll cook a nice meal and splurge on wine and rich desserts.  There will be prayer and laughter and (hopefully) some rest.  I am looking forward to all of this.  Still, I've been thinking a lot about the gifts we will place beneath and around the tree.

Gift-giving is a big part of our celebration.  We are finished with our Christmas shopping and I am so excited to see Evelyn's reaction.  Henry will be happy to be in the arms of someone who loves him (or on the ground, crawling toward wrapping paper).  I'm not worried about what to give him this year!  Evelyn, though, will have a lot to say.  She is very expressive, often exclaiming "Oh, I would love to do that!" or "No thank you, Mama.  I don't like that!" 

Throughout my own childhood I didn't get everything I ever asked for-- and I didn't expect to receive it.  Half the fun of creating a wish list is the element of surprise, I think.  I'd come up with a long list of ideas and, somehow, my Mom knew which items I wanted or needed the most.  I have been trying to think of a favorite Christmas gift.  Certainly, there are a couple of large stand-out gifts.  One year, I received a nineteenth century dresser (I'd had my eye on it at a local antique dealer's shop).  Another year, my Mom gave me a hope chest.  Looking back though, I think the best gift I received was not something that I used every day.

My favorite Christmas gift is a hard cover, three volumes in one, Anne of Green Gables book.  This is not my favorite book, but I treasure it because of the way it makes me feel.  I received this book in 1994 and I clearly remember where we were when I pointed it out to my mother.  My siblings and I were with my Mom in her college book store.  You see, she attended college after the four of us were born, and after she and my father were divorced.  Needless to say, a single mother of four children isn't exactly rolling in money.  When I asked for the book that summer, I knew it was likely that my Mom would say "no."  She did, but she also said she would keep it in mind for the future.

Weeks and months went by and I forgot all about it until Christmas morning, when I unwrapped Anne of Green Gables.  On the inside cover, my mother wrote the year alongside "Merry Christmas!  Love, Mom and Dad" but I know she chose this gift on her own.  My mother remembered that I had liked the looks of this hefty book.  I felt so loved and so heard-- an important feeling for one of four children, especially during the stressful days of divorce and working parents.  It is this sense of a treasured feeling that I hope to capture in my own gift-giving as a mother.

Christmas lights

This evening, Evelyn took an incredibly poorly-timed nap.  When she woke, the world was a miserable place and she was out of sorts.  Luckily, Chris had made it home from work by then.  He rocked Henry to sleep and tried to have a little dinner while I convinced a hysterical Evelyn to put on her coat and boots.  Here is one of the best parenting tips I've ever received:  go outside.  Is the baby crying in the middle of the night and you've already tried everything?  Go outside.  Is the toddler having a tantrum?  Pick her up and take her outside.

Fresh air does wonders.  I don't care if it is cold or pouring rain.  Sometimes just a few moments outside can act as a reset button of sorts.  This makes good sense, actually.  When I am completely on edge and the anxiety creeps up to an uncomfortably high level, I often use little sensory tricks like stepping outside for a few deep breaths or running cool water over my wrists and hands.  Suffice it to say, both Evelyn and I needed to get outside tonight.  She stopped crying as soon as I pulled her up onto my back for a piggyback ride.

I took in some cool night air and we headed down the street to look at the Christmas lights around the neighborhood.  When I was younger, I remember driving with my parents and enjoying the twinkling lights adorning each house on the block.  This was a fun spin on this tradition.  Our on-foot version was so much better!  Granted, it was about forty degrees here so we weren't freezing.  After about fifteen minutes, we returned home.  We were both in better moods.

Snapshot: Learning about Advent and Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Our little pilgrim helped cook our holiday meal (and our gluten-free chocolate cake and frosting, too)!   It was a long day for Evelyn since much of our attention was directed at food preparation and cleaning (and Henry), but she did well and took a late nap.  We called all of our parents and even had a video chat with my Mom and Stepdad.  Today was a lovely, relaxed day.

We are thankful for chocolate cake!

The day after

Halloween has come and gone and, judging by the especially short attention spans of the kids in our Toddler Group this morning, kids are feeling the aftermath. Circle time was more of a "shake your sillies out" free for all despite our wonderful teacher's attempts to reel everyone back in. Even the grown ups were having side conversations. I think many of us were commiserating. It's just kind of an off day.

And, today is the first day of NaBloPoMo, if you're interested.

Jack-o-lantern day!

We hoisted our twenty-pound pumpkin onto the dining room table today for some scooping and carving. Instead of doing this in one sitting, which would be difficult with a toddler and baby, we broke it up into about three sessions. Evelyn chose the design-- a train! Can you see it?

Halloween fun!

Today we enjoyed some pre-Halloween festivities.



Evelyn got to have a lollipop! We've been talking about it all week. She chose a pomegranate flavored one.



Henry wore Evelyn's first costume. Bzzzzz!



Two bumble bees!



Henry showed his costume who was boss.

A first glimpse of Halloween

Evelyn decided to be a bumblebee this year (Henry will also be a buzzing bee) and today was "costume" day at our Toddler Group Co-op. Yes, it was just as adorable as it sounds!